The Dragon's Call But with a Twist
by therealjainasolo
Summary: Merlin is the young sorcerer we all know and love. But what if someone else had the same destiny as him? And what if this someone was Gaius' neice? Read to find out what happens when Merlin meets Rosanna; The Dragon's Call But With a Twist!
1. Chapter 1

**Dragon's Call-But with A twist**

**Rosanna is a character I have created. All I will say for now, is that she is incredibly important, and her destiny is too. Enjoy!**

Rosa sighed at her uncle, looking between him and the mound of books on the table in front of her.

"Gaius, can I ask you a question?" she asked, looking imploringly at the court physician.

"You just did, my child!" he chuckled, looking up from the book he was writing in, to see his niece glaring at him. "Of course you can ask me a question." Rosa smiled at him, her deep blue eyes sparkling.

"Tell me again, why is this boy Merlin coming here?" Gaius sighed. He had told this story a hundred times, and each time, his niece grew more and more curious and wanted to find out more about this boy. But the truth was, was that Rosa was not happy. She didn't understand why he had to come and muck about her life, which had already been messed around with far too much for someone at such a young age. Gaius seemed to sense his niece's despair, and tried to comfort her.

"He is in the same boat as you. His mother says that he has the Gift," Gaius whispered, so softly that Rosa nearly missed it. Rosa's head snapped up when she heard the last part.

"He does, does he? Mmmm," she muttered to herself, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Don't even think about pulling a stunt!" her uncle scolded.

"Me? I wouldn't dream of it!" Rosa sang innocently, her brain already whirring at ways to find out this boy's power. She turned towards the cauldron brewing in the middle of the table, and started adding herbs to it. Her uncle nodded at her approvingly; she was becoming a fine young physician, especially with her "powers".

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Merlin walked up the hill, to be greeted with his first sight of Camelot. The night before, his mother had explained to him that he wasn't safe anymore in Ealdor, and she had arranged for him to stay with her friend Gaius, Camelot's court physician. What he didn't know was that he was about to meet his destiny, and a beautiful raven-haired blue-eyed girl.

To Merlin, Camelot was beautiful, with the castle standing proudly just outside of the forest, housing thousands of people within. He strode over to the gate, and entered, marvelling at the sight of the market, stall upon stall lining the courtyard. People milling about, selling their wares. The aroma of vegetables, and live animals. This was home now.

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_A young man and woman, both appearing normal, but with destinies written down centuries before. Emrys and Lymru shall work with Prince Arthur of Camelot to unite the land of Albion, but with many risks and foes. Their lives shall not be easy, but it never is for two people possessing magic…_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi guys, thanks for all the reviews! If you were wondering, the italics at the end of the last chapter were the Great Dragon. Lymru is pronounced Lim-ree, and I appreciate that this may be wrong, but that is how I would like it to be. Enjoy this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW!**

The bells clanged, signalling it was time. The villagers in the market all looked at each other. Time for the execution. Merlin glanced around, confused. _What was going on? _Spotting a large group of people, he ran over to them.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry!" he apologized over and over as he pushed and shoved his way to the front of the crowd.

"Oy, watch it! We want to see the execution too boy!" an elderly man who reeked of ale yelled at Merlin.

"Execution?" Merlin questioned, bemused.

"Yes execution! Are you simple boy?" the man replied slowly, as if explaining to a young child that one add one made two. Then he saw the confusion in Merlin's face and opened his mouth to speak, most likely to ask if Merlin was from around these parts. But before he could speak, a male voice came from the balcony in front of which the crowd had gathered.

"People of Camelot. We come before you to present this man who is guilty of using magic and enchantments. The punishment for which… is death."

Death? Merlin's head snapped upwards to look at the balcony. Standing there was a man in his fifties wearing a red cloak with the seal of Camelot… and a crown. King Uther Pendragon. On one side of him stood a man who looked the same age as Merlin, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Prince Arthur Pendragon. On the King's other side stood a young woman with dark hair, and wearing a flowing, purple gown. The Lady Morgana, the King's ward.

Suddenly, a loud scream came front in front of Merlin. A young man with unruly hair and fear in his eyes was the source. He was the guilty party, and started to plead with the King to spare him.

"Please, My Lord, I meant no harm!" he begged, getting down on his knees.

"You knew full well the consequences of your actions. Perhaps you should have considered them when committing the crime!" the King replied coldly. He waved his hand, signalling the guards flanked on either side of the prisoner. They grabbed his arms, and held him still. One pushed down the man's head, so that he was forced to look at the ground. One guard lifted his sword, before looking at the King. Uther nodded.

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The second Rosa heard the bells ringing, she glanced up from the cauldron, and looked questioningly at her uncle. Gaius had turned pale, and sat down. The expression on his face was as if he had learned that someone was about to die. Die. _Oh no. _As realisation dawned on Rosa, she began to run towards the window, stumbling over a table leg, and knocking several potions off the table, causing them to smash and splatter all over the floor. Normally she would have been scolded by Gaius, and been given a lecture on how much those ingredients cost, but today he just sat, watching her. Executions were bad things.

Finally she reached the window and watched the whole thing. The gathering of the crowd. The screaming and pleading of the prisoner. Him being pushed to the ground. The raising of the sword. The nod from Uther.

And the sword slicing through the air, before meeting its target with a thud.

Morgana winced. Arthur closed his eyes. Merlin looked down. Rosa turned away from the window. It was done. And Uther merely smiled coldly. Until manic laughter filled the air…

**A/N: Oooh. A cliffhanger! If you are thinking that this story will be exactly like the episode, then please don't! I know this bit sounds familiar, but it is completely different. Please review!**

**Therealjainasolo xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is the chapter you have all been waiting for; the meeting of Rosa and Merlin! This chapter is dedicated to my great friend Alina, who is an amazing writer!**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

Rosa whipped back around to look out of the window. No. That was impossible! But it was true. The man whom hundreds of people had just seen have his head separated from his body was the source of the manic laughter. And his head was very much attached to his body.

He stood up and spun around, still laughing and stretching his arms. No one attempted to stop him as he walked towards the King. In fact, all of the guards were standing still, and staring blankly into space, looking as if they didn't have a care in the world. They had been hypnotised. All of the villagers were frozen to the spot with fear, all thinking one thing. _How had this man cheated death?_

The man continued towards the King until he was mere metres away from him. Uther was glaring at him, so fiercely, as if he wanted to burn a hole in the man's forehead.

"Did you really think that I was going to die here today?" The man laughed a laugh so full of malice and contempt for the King. Uther did not reply. He needn't have, because the man continued.

"You killed my entire family because they had MAGIC! I want you, Uther Pendragon to know how it feels to have no family. If I were you, I would take extra care of my son; who knows what could happen to him?" Now the man was glaring at Arthur, and was yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he turned back to Uther. "Good day my Lord!" he trilled casually, as though nothing had happened. "Oh, and I do hope you enjoy celebrating twenty years with no magic!" The man smiled menacingly. Then, his eyes glowed amber, and he was engulfed in thick grey smoke. As it cleared, the man was gone.

The villagers started yelling and screaming in fright. All apart from Merlin, who was staring at the place the man had disappeared. Rosa turned back from the window and looked at her uncle, who was looking even paler. If that were possible.

"Don't worry; he was probably just threatening Uther. He wouldn't dare go after his precious son!" she soothed. Gaius nodded, wishing he could believe his niece.

On the balcony, Arthur was also trying to calm his father. Uther was staring into space, his face gradually growing redder and redder. Finally, he exploded and screamed at the crowd.

"SILENCE!" Immediately the crowd quietened. "Do not let this man worry you! He was merely showing off. I shall not let magic corrupt our kingdom that has been magic free for twenty years! We shall have our celebration in three days' time as we had planned!" he yelled, calming not only his people, but himself as well. The villagers murmured, and nodded. Uther then turned and walked back into the castle, quickly followed by his son and ward.

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Merlin watched the crowd depart, before walking up to a guard with his back to him.

"Excuse me?" he asked timidly. The guard turned around and looked questioningly at Merlin.

"Um, do you know where I can find Gaius, the court physician?" The guard nodded, and pointed towards a wooden door leading into the castle, and then to a window three storeys high.

"Thanks," Merlin muttered as he walked towards the door. _He's not a man of many words is he?_ He thought to himself, and chuckled. Hitching his haversack over his shoulder, he opened the door, and then proceeded to climb the stairs that the door revealed, until he reached the third floor, where he was presented with a large wooden door. A wooden plaque hung from a hook on the door and read "Gaius, Court Physician". Several herbs were painted onto it. This was the place. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

A female voice called, "Come in!" Merlin took another deep breath, before pushing the door open. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. It was not the room itself that shocked him, more the woman in it. More specifically, the woman sitting on the table opposite the door. Who was staring at him. With a curious look on her face. But she was no ordinary woman; Merlin thought she was beautiful.

She had mid-length, black wavy hair, which was cascading over her shoulders and was adorned with small flowers. Her eyes were a deep blue, and Merlin felt like he could drown in them if he looked at them for too long. Unlike most of the women Merlin had seen, she was not wearing a dress; she was wearing a deep red blouse, brown belt, brown cardigan, **(A/N: I didn't know how else to describe it!)** black trousers and long brown boots. Around her neck was a blue scarf, much like the one Merlin was wearing. It was only then that Merlin noticed; she was scowling. At him.

"_Didn't your mother ever tell you that staring was rude?" _Merlin heard a female voice say. But the only female in the room was the one he had been "staring" at. And her mouth had not been moving. Merlin gasped, and the woman merely smirked and raised a delicate eyebrow..

"Um. I'm Merlin. Hunith's son?" Merlin stuttered. The woman smiled, before calling, "Gaius, he's here!" A door at the opposite end of the room opened, and a short man wearing a long red robe came staggering out. He was carrying a large pile of books which was concealing his face, and was attempting to walk over to his niece, and was failing miserably due to the fact he couldn't see.

"Who's here?" he called.

"Uncle! Be careful!" the woman cried, before leaping off the table and running over to Gaius. She took the books from him and placed them on the table. This allowed Merlin to get a proper look at Gaius. He was an elderly man with shoulder-length white hair and a kindly face.

"Merlin is here, Gaius," the woman answered Gaius' previous question. She walked back over to her uncle, and they stood next to each other, watching the slightly scared Merlin. Gaius grinned, before holding out his hand.

"I'm Gaius, it is a pleasure to meet you Merlin!" Merlin took his hand and shook it. Gaius then pointed to the woman next to him. "This is my niece, Rosanna." The woman offered her hand and Merlin kissed it.

"_Call me Rosa. Or I kill you! And believe me, I am very capable of doing that!" _Merlin heard her voice say, but this time, her lips were definitely not moving. He gasped again.

"How do you do that?" He spluttered. Rosa smiled.

"Do what?" she asked sweetly. She looked at her uncle, who looked rather confused.

"Speak. Without moving your mouth?" Rosa smiled again. Then she walked towards the table and pushed off the pitcher of water. Instinctively, Merlin's eyes flashed amber, and the pitcher froze, suspended in mid-air.

"The same reason you can do that." Merlin's eyes grew wide.

"You have magic?"

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is in Rosa's POV. The chapters from here shall be alternating between Merlin and Rosa's POV.**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to my friend Jess, who is the most amazing singer!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Rosa and the plot.**

**Enjoy!**

I watched Merlin, taking in his dark scruffy hair and twinkling blue eyes, his tall and well-built figure; he was rather handsome. His mouth was open and his eyes wide. At least he hadn't fainted or run away. Yet.

"Yes. I have magic," I finally answered. I noticed that the pitcher of water was still suspended in the air, and it seemed that Merlin had snapped out of it, because he had noticed too. But with a quick flash of amber in his eyes, it was safely on the table. "And so, it seems, do you." I wasn't asking, merely stating a fact. Merlin looked at me for a minute, before nodding his head slightly. Then he turned to Gaius.

"Why did my mother send me to live in a place where magic is banned, on pain of death?" he asked my uncle, his voice rising slightly with every word. Gaius shushed him, eager that no one could hear this conversation and gestured for Merlin to sit down at the dinner table. Merlin reluctantly did so, and Gaius sat down opposite him. Merlin was probably wondering if we were going to turn him into Uther. I winced at the thought. Gaius looked at me and I shook my head, preferring to stay standing. I noticed that my uncle was nervous, so I nodded reassuringly at him. Gaius took a deep breath before starting,

"Your mother sent you here because it is safer than Ealdor. She was frightened that someone would find out about your magic and turn you into Cenred, whereas here, I could teach you how to control it… and hide it." When he finished, he looked at me expectantly. I sighed.

"Magic has been illegal for twenty years; my whole life. I was in the same shoes as you when I came to Camelot ten years ago. If a ten year old can do it, so can you," I explained to an uncertain looking Merlin. "It's either that… or be executed," I finished grimly. Merlin was now looking quite pale, and I wondered if I had gone too far. Gaius looked at me, half gratefully and half disbelievingly. I knew how he felt; I had shocked myself, but it seemed that Merlin trusted us now.

I wasn't one to talk about magic in this way. When I was younger, it had scared me, but my mother was proud, and my brothers in awe. My father was scared, I could tell, but he never said anything. When Uther executed my parents, I blamed myself, and refused to talk about my magic. My brothers and I were separated, for our safety. I came to Camelot, and my brothers to various relatives. Gaius got through to me eventually, and taught me how to control it. He gave me a spell book, which I read diligently. During the day I would work as Gaius' apprentice, and at night I would practise magic. But I would never speak of it, or my past. Until now.

Merlin looked at me, and asked quietly, "Can I ask what you can do? I mean what type of magic?" Gaius opened his mouth to protest; he knew how I felt about these things. But I shook my head at him.

"It's okay Gaius. He is bound to find out soon enough," I whispered to my uncle. He nodded reluctantly, so I turned back to Merlin. "I can do things like you, spells without words. But I can also talk to other people with magic, using my mind. Like I did on you earlier. For anyone, even people without magic, I can tell how they are feeling. And for people I really care about, like family or really close friends… I can hear their thoughts," I explained.

"Wow…" Merlin said. Or that's what I thought.

"I know," I replied. This seemed to startle Merlin.

"What?" I asked, confused. Merlin stood up and looked at me.

"I didn't say anything," he whispered.

I stared at him for a minute. This was absurd. There was no way I could read his thoughts. No way! I had only just met him! It took months for me to hear Gaius', and only then when I wanted to, which wasn't often, as I hated listening to his thoughts. It felt like I was invading his privacy. Perhaps Merlin's shocked expression had made me think that I heard him say that? Yes, that must be it.

"I know, but your expression said it all," I answered finally. "And that was how Gaius reacted." Merlin seemed to believe it, but Gaius didn't look too sure. To stop being questioned by my uncle, I changed the subject.

"Why don't I show Merlin his room?" I asked brightly. I barely heard Gaius mutter, "I suppose," before I grabbed Merlin's arm and dragged him to the door that my uncle had entered from. Merlin barely had time to grab his haversack from the floor, before I pulled open the door and pushed him inside.

I followed Merlin in, and walked over to my bed. The room was reasonably sized, with two beds, and a small table in the corner. I swear I heard Merlin say, "This is a lot bigger than my room at home!" but when I saw that his lips weren't moving, I pushed the thought from my mind. I pointed to the other bed.

"That's your bed," I said, and then pointed to the one I was sitting on. "And this is mine. It's not much, but you get used to it." At this, Merlin chuckled.

"Don't worry! Back home, I slept on the floor!" he laughed. His eyes had this twinkle in them and I knew that he was missing his mother. Deciding to leave him to his thoughts and to unpack, I walked back to the door and into the apothecary. **(A/N:?) **

"Rosanna? What was that?" Gaius asked. Oops. I had forgotten about my curious uncle. Sighing, I looked up from the ground that had suddenly become interesting. I could see my own worry reflected in his face.

"I need to see someone!" I called, running across the room, yanking the door open and darting out. I knew that Gaius was worried and confused, but so was I. And only one person could give me answers. Or should I say, dragon.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! I'm going back to school on Thursday. Dunno whether to be excited or dreading it. I mean, the holidays are boring, and I miss my mates, but its ****school! **

**Anywho, this chapter will alternate between Rosa's and Merlin's POV. I'm dedicating it to my friend Rachel, who introduced me to Merlin 2 years ago, and without her, this story wouldn't even have entered my mind!**

**Disclaimer: I would be incredibly rich if I owned Merlin, and trust me, I'm not! I own Rosa and the plot only.**

**ENJOY, AND PLEASE REVIEW!**

Rosa's POV

I skidded round the corner… and straight into Gwen, causing her to drop the linen she was carrying.

"Oh, Gwen, I'm so sorry!" I apologised, picking up her linen frantically. She was my best friend and had been since I arrived in Camelot ten years ago.

_FLASHBACK…_

_I had been in Camelot for a week, and Gaius had decided that I was trustworthy for a ten year old, and had sent me to buy some herbs from the market. Luckily, I had located the right stall, and brought the herbs. The woman selling them had been suspicious at first, but when I told her that Gaius was my uncle, she was more than happy to sell them to me. I was trying, and failing to carry them back to Gaius' suite. There were lots of bags, and it was hard to see where I was going. Suddenly, I banged into someone, and dropped my bags._

"_Oh, I'm so sorry, let me help you!" _

_I looked up to see a girl about my age with dark curly hair, warm brown eyes and a kind expression. She immediately started to help me, and once all of the herbs were safely back in the bags, I began thanking her profusely._

"_No, it's my fault," she said, waving it away. She picked up some of the bags and began walking with me. "I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen," she said, offering a hand. I shook it._

"_Rosanna, but please call me Rosa. Otherwise I will be forced to kill you, and we only just met. It would be rude!" I joked. Gwen laughed. As we walked back, I learned that Gwen was the blacksmith's daughter and had lived in Camelot her whole life. I obviously couldn't tell her about my magic, but I explained that I was living with my uncle because my parents had died. Gwen understood; she told me that her mother had died when she was very young. She also had a brother, but I never met him. To this day, Gwen is the only one I talk to about my family. _

_When we got back, Gaius seemed thrilled that I had made a friend, and from then on, we were best friends. Sometimes I felt bad that I didn't tell her about my magic, but I just couldn't. It wasn't that I couldn't trust her, I just didn't want her to think of me as a freak, or something special. I wanted Gwen to see me as a normal person; she was like a sister to me, and I didn't want anything to change that._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Gwen laughed when I handed back the linen, probably thinking about our first meeting as well. She had recently become the Lady Morgana's maid, and I was incredibly proud of her.

"Someone's in a hurry!" Gwen laughed.

"You could say that!" I replied. "But I guess I can spare a minute or so for my best friend."

"Really? I would be so honoured that Her Majesty could spare a minute to talk to little old me!" Gwen joked. I laughed and swatted her arm, whilst falling into step beside her. I always loved that we could be so jokey around each other.

"How's being a maid?"

"Oh, it's great, and Morgana's not that bad."

"Oooh, on a first name basis already eh? She must really like you! I heard that her last maidservant ran out after a week, because Morgana made her cry by saying that she wanted a bath!" Gwen laughed, and playfully hit my arm. We both laughed, before falling into a comfortable silence.

"Merlin's arrived," I said finally.

"Oh really? What does he look like? Is he nice?" I grinned at Gwen's questions.

"He's seems nice enough. And you would probably call him 'tall, dark and handsome'." Gwen nodded, and we fell into silence again. We reached the door to the vaults. Oh dear. Now I had to get away without causing suspicion. Hmmm, how to do that? Just as I was plotting on setting Gwen's hair on fire, and slipping away in the following commotion (I know it's mean, but it was the best I could come up with!), Morgana's voice came wafting down the corridor.

"Gwen? I need you!"

Gwen sighed and looked at me.

"That's my cue," she said and rushed off.

"See you later!" I called after her retreating form. When she was out of sight, I checked to see if there was anybody else around. Seeing no one, I opened the door to the vaults and grabbed an unlit torch. With a flash of amber in my eyes, the torch was lit, and I descended the stairs until I saw the familiar doorway. I walked through it to see the dragon I had come to see. Kilgarrah was laying on the large rock next to the little perch I was currently standing on. And he was snoring. Quite loudly, I might add. Let's just say, I was surprised that half the castle hadn't come down here with large buckets of water and pitchforks.

"Hello?" I called, trying to be heard over the loud snores emanating from the dragon, and feeling almost mean in waking him.

"And to what do I owe the misfortune in seeing you today?" He grumbled. Huh. Not feeling so mean anymore.

"Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the cave this morning!" I joked. Kilgarrah lifted his head and glared at me. Sheesh. If looks could kill…

"Your wit astounds me(!) What do you want? And please make it quick; I need my beauty sleep." I raised an eyebrow at the word beauty and was very tempted to say, "Yes, you certainly need a lot of beauty sleep!" but I didn't. Mainly because I was not a mean person, but also because Kilgarrah was obviously in a bad mood for some reason, and I wanted answers.

"Why can I read Merlin's thoughts when I've only just met him?"

Merlin's POV

I saw Rosa quietly leave the room. She was beautiful and seemed kind, and better still, she had magic, just like me! I heard Rosa call, "I need to see someone!" and then the door closed. Perhaps Camelot wasn't that bad after all. It was no Ealdor, but it was home now, whether I liked or not. And I did like it, very much indeed. Particularly, a beautiful raven haired woman…

I unpacked my bag, and carefully stowed it under my bed. I hadn't much; a few changes of clothes and a small portrait, depicting Mother and I when I was a small boy. Mother…

_FLASHBACK…_

_It was the night my mother told me I had to come to Camelot. I had just come in from collecting berries to eat with supper, and had found a rather large berry bush, meaning our stomachs would be full tonight, and I was in a good mood. Taking off my jacket and throwing it on a chair, I called, "Mother, I'm home!"_

_She came in and immediately, my mood darkened. Tear tracks were evident on her face and her hands were shaking, even though I could see she was trying to stop them from doing so._

"_Mother, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked up at me._

"_Merlin, you best sit down," she sighed. I did so and watched as Mother started pacing the room. That was when I knew something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. After a few minutes, I could take it no longer._

"_Mother, stop pacing! You are making me nervous! What is so wrong? Did Old Sam set fire to his chickens again?" I said, fearing for her sanity now. In response, she gave me The Look. You know, the you-better-stop-talking-or-else look. Needless to say, I shut up._

"_Merlin, I fear that your magic will be exposed. Someone is bound to find out, and I couldn't bear the thought of my little boy d-d-d…" she trailed off and started sobbing. I hugged her, and soothed her to the best of my ability. Eventually, she sat up, and rubbed her eyes._

"_As I was saying, it is too dangerous for you to stay here," Mother continued as if nothing had happened. "I have arranged for you to stay with Gaius, Camelot's court physician, and an old friend of mine. It's safer for you to stay with him." She broke down sobbing again. I knew that she wouldn't have done it unless absolutely necessary, and I must admit, a few tears made their way down my face. Manly tears, but tears nonetheless. I was leaving the only home and family I had ever known to live with strange people in a strange place; it was enough to make even the toughest man crack. We sat there crying all night, and the next day I set off for Camelot._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Gaius' voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Merlin!"

I jumped off of my bed and walked into the apothecary **(A/N: I am now officially calling it that, unless anyone knows the proper name for the room…). **Gaius was standing there, holding two glass vials containing brightly coloured liquids, a handful of leaves, and a piece of parchment.

"I need you to deliver these remedies, seeing as Rosanna has disappeared…" he trailed off.

"No problem," I said, and took the vials, leaves and parchment, which had instructions on where to go and which remedy was for whom.

"Oh, and don't let Mrs Ritcham swallow those leaves, she is to hold them in her mouth only," Gaius warned, before sending me on my way.

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Half an hour later, I had successfully delivered the remedies. Except when Mrs Ritcham swallowed the leaves; Gaius obviously didn't think it necessary to tell me she was deaf…I'm sure it would be fine…Suddenly I banged into someone, causing them to drop the linen they were carrying. **(A/N: Sound like déjà vu, to you?) **

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I cried, before bending down to pick up the linen. I heard laughing, and looked up to see that the person I had bumped into was a woman roughly my age with black curly hair, and warm brown eyes.

"What's so funny?" I asked, standing up and handing her back her linen.

"It's just that my friend Rosa did the exact same thing earlier," she said. I looked up when she mentioned Rosa. Her friend? Hmmm. "I'm Gwen." She held out her hand, which I shook.

"I'm Merlin," I answered. Gwen gasped.

"You're Merlin?" I nodded my head, confused.

"That's me."

"It's just that Rosa said you had arrived." My ears pricked up at this.

"She was talking about me?" I asked trying not to sound eager. Gwen nodded.

"She said that you were nice." I deflated. Nice? Nice? A unicorn is "nice"!

"Rosa also said that you were my definition of 'tall, dark and handsome'," she blurted, before promptly blushing. Handsome eh? I was about to reply, when suddenly I heard Rosa's voice in my head.

"Why can I read Merlin's thoughts when I've only just met him?"

**A/N: Longest chapter yet! Whoop! This chapter is actually a bit of a filler; there will be more action in the next chapter, I promise! I know that some of the characters were a bit OCC. But I want to show the cocky, funny side of Merlin, and the sarcastic, funny, friendly side to Rosa, as well as them both being caring, humble and serious when needed. I also wanted to add a bit of background info.**

**Please Review, they mean the world to me!**

**Therealjainasolo xxxx **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry that I haven't updated in so long, but it is really hard juggling schoolwork and this; I have no idea how so many people do it!**

**Anywho, this chapter is quite important, so please enjoy, and don't forget to review, as I have only got one review for the last chapter so far. **** You may have noticed that I have changed the summary, and I think this one is better. Maybe? I was also thinking of changing the title to "Destiny Calls". What do you think?**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to my friend Neelam who is legen-wait for it-DARY! Legendary! (And also a massive How I met Your Mother fan!)**

**Enjoy!**

Merlin's POV

I spun around, trying to see where Rosa's voice was coming from. Finally, I stopped, facing a large metal door. Her voice seemed to be coming from there.

"What's through there?" I asked Gwen frantically. She looked rather confused at my sudden burst of energy, and suddenly she had gone quite pale at the mention of the door.

"Um… no-no one knows," she stuttered finally. Instinctively, I knew she was lying, but said nothing. "Why?" Gwen asked. I shrugged.

"I thought I heard something, is all," I replied vaguely. Gwen gulped, and nearly dropped her basket. It was only my quick instincts that stopped her linen ending up on the floor the third time in one day. Gwen looked up at me and grimaced.

"Oh, I think I'm being summoned. Bye Merlin!" she called, running down the corridor and out of sight. _Odd. I didn't hear her name being called. What could possibly be behind that door that is making her so jumpy? _I thought, before realising that now was my opportunity. Checking that no one was watching, I wrenched open the door, to find myself at the top of a dark staircase. I fumbled for a torch.

"Cynnau," I whispered, and instantly, the torch burst into flames. Creeping down the stairs, I strained my ears, trying to listen for Rosa's voice. There! I heard it, along with another, male voice. Finally, I reached the bottom of the stairs, and found myself in front of an archway. On the other side was Rosa talking to… a dragon? No. No. No. A dragon? No!

"Hello, young warlock. I have been waiting for you to arrive," I heard a voice say. I jumped. It couldn't possibly be? No! The dragon could not be talking to me! But he was. And Rosa had noticed as well. She spun round and glared at me.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her eyes blazing. I gulped. Suddenly, my mouth had gone dry, and I couldn't speak.

"Leave him Rosanna. I made him come here," the dragon spoke up. Rosa turned back to him.

"Call me Rosanna one more time, and I'll make sure that all you have to eat is GRAVEL! "She growled, looking menacing. I certainly didn't want to upset her. However the dragon merely raised an eyebrow. Rosa glared at him. "And what do you mean you 'made him' come here?" she asked, calmer now. The dragon looked thoughtful.

"It concerns your destinies. Merlin came to Camelot for a reason," he said. I snorted.

"I came here because Ealdor was too 'dangerous'. Destinies don't exist," I scoffed, and was immediately met with two annoyed looks.

"Carry on," Rosa prompted to the dragon. He nodded, and glared at me, before continuing.

"Both of you have incredibly important destines, that was written down centuries before your births. You are destined to help Prince Arthur to unite the land of Albion when he becomes King." This time it was Rosa who snorted.

"Prince Arthur? Have you _met _him? He is the most arrogant, pompous, idiotic person that I have ever met! No way is his destiny to unite the land of Albion!" she mocked. The dragon huffed.

"Most you both be so disbelieving? The Druids have known for centuries that Arthur's destiny was this, and that you two were to help him! There was a prophecy written. It went; _The Lord of Fire and the Lady of Mystery sent to help the son of the one who disbelieves in all that they know, in order to help him unite the Land of Albion. Emrys and Lymru, the most powerful sorcerers of all time, protectors of dragons and unicorns alike, with power over the elements, sent to help Prince Arthur of Camelot._" At the mention of druids, Rosa went unnaturally quiet, and stared at the ground. I decided to speak up.

"Our names aren't Emrys and Lymru." The dragon looked at me and chuckled.

"Emrys is your Druid name Merlin, and Lymru is Rosa's. You were both destined for this!" He explained.

Rosa's POV

I looked at the floor. The druids had known, all this time? Merlin looked confused, and I must say, it was a lot to take in. How could I have such a big destiny? But it must be true; my Druid name was Lymru. Perhaps there was more than one? Somehow, I doubted it. Suddenly, I thought of something.

"You didn't answer my first question. How can I read Merlin's thoughts? I have only just met him!" I exclaimed. Kilgarrah looked sheepish, and Merlin intrigued. Then Kilgarrah said something I never thought I would hear him say,

"I do not know, young sorceress." I gasped.

"How can you not know? You always know!" I whined, sounding like a petulant child.

"Think Rosanna. You already know the answer to this. You know the limits of your power." I looked at him shocked; so shocked that I didn't even insult him for calling me Rosanna. He was right. I did know the limits of my power. The only way I could read someone's thoughts whom I had just met was if they were…my soul mate. But that was impossible! Merlin couldn't be! Could he? Kilgarrah nodded, knowing what I was thinking.

"No. It is not possible!" I stated firmly.

"Yes it is, and you know it!" the dragon argued.

"I'm sorry, what is?" Merlin piped up. I looked at him, shocked, forgetting for a moment that he was there.

"Um, nothing. It doesn't matter," I blustered, shaking my head. Kilgarrah looked at me.

"_I won't tell him!" _I thought-screamed to Kilgarrah. He winced, but nodded nonetheless. Merlin frowned, so I took his hand, ignoring the slight tingle I felt when our skin touched, and led him back up the stairs, and into the castle.

"Hang on. I have a question," Merlin asked. I sighed, but stopped and turned to him, motioning with my hand to carry on.

"Why is that dragon locked under the castle?"

"His name is Kilgarrah, or the Great Dragon, and he is the last dragon alive. Uther persecuted them, and then locked up Kilgarrah as an example. He's been there for twenty years," I explained the best I could with all of the weird thoughts running through my head (Mainly "Soul mate?" and "Massive destiny"). Merlin nodded.

"Gwen knew he was down there; she went all pale when I asked," he said. My ears pricked up at the mention of my best friend.

"You've met Gwen?" I asked, intrigued. Merlin nodded, and smiled.

"I bumped into her, and made her drop all her linen!" He laughed. I joined in.

"Yeah, that is normally how we greet each other!" I giggled (Wait, giggled? What was happening to me?!), and suddenly we were both laughing, so hard my sides started to hurt. All of the awkwardness was gone, and we were getting along like old friends. On the way back to the apothecary, we exchanged funny stories; I told Merlin about the time I had been chased by a swarm of bees after I had tried to steal honey from them when I was twelve, and he told me about the time that he and his friend had watched as their old next door neighbour tried to herd his chickens, and also about the time that he had accidently set fire to one. I decided to not tell Merlin, and instead just see how it went. I didn't want to pressure him with the whole "soul mate" thing, and instead wanted him to like me for me.

By the time we had got back to the apothecary, my stomach felt like it was going to burst and Merlin had gone red from laughing too hard. Gaius stared at us as we tried to get our breath back.

"I see that you two are getting along just fine," he remarked. We nodded at him.

"Good, then you can help me make up some potions then!" I looked at Merlin. He looked at me, with an equal look of dread on his face. Simultaneously, we groaned.

MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERL INMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINME RLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLIN MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERL INMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINME RLINMERLIN

Third Person

Down in the dungeons, Kilgarrah laughed at how well the two were getting on. There was one part of the prophecy he had failed to tell them, as he wanted them to work it out themselves.

_Bonded by heart and soul, Emrys and Lymru have a love so pure. Neither can survive without the other, neither can go on without the other near. Their thoughts and powers shared make them the most powerful people alive…_

**Dun Dun Dun! Cliffhanger! **

**I want Merlin and Rosa to be great friends, and the last part of the prophecy shall explain their bond, which will come into play eventually. I am going to make it so that Rosa forgets that she and Merlin are soul mates (Kilgarrah will make her forget without her knowing), as it will be massive when they both find out, and I want them to focus on their destiny and friendship in this story, but I wanted you lot to know early on. Sorry if this is confusing!**

"**Cynnau" I looked up on Google Translate to mean "Ignite" in Welsh. Sorry if it's wrong!**

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Don't shoot me! Please! I'm sooooooo sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I have had a MOUNTAIN of homework, as well as 2 projects, so I have been finding it hard to find time to update.  
On the plus side, for my birthday, I got a laptop, so updates should be quicker now I don't have to wait in line for the family computer.**

**I am dedicating this chapter to my friend Bethany, who loves animals.**

**Disclaimer: **

**Rosa: therealjainasolo does not own anything but the plot and me (Wow that sounded weird!). Now please, can you untie me?**

**Me: Oh, yeah, well I suppose so.**

The man stood over the bubbling cauldron, his face in shadow. He placed a hand gently on the surface of the liquid in the cauldron, sending out a series of small ripples.

"The time is near," he whispered, his voice hoarse and ragged. The man reached into his pocket and brought out a flat shiny stone the size of his fist. It may have been the poor light in the cave, or the reflection of the fire, but any onlookers would have seen the man's eyes flash amber, just for a second, before returning to a stormy grey.

"Merlin. You will do perfectly…"

MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERL INMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINME RLINMERLINMERLIN

"_Italics" _is thought speak

"Normal" is spoken dialogue

MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERL INMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINME RLINMERLINMERLIN

Rosa's POV

"Merlin! Rosa! Breakfast is on the table!" Gaius's voice wafted into my sleep addled brain. Groaning, I rolled over onto my stomach, pulling the blanket closer to my body. I vaguely heard Merlin stumble into the apothecary, mumbling something about "stupid unicorns". I turned back over onto my back, and blearily opened one eye. Thinking back over the events of yesterday, I couldn't help but think there was a blank in my memory. Bumping into Gwen. Visiting Kilgarrah. Merlin turning up. Hearing my destiny. And…something else? But what was it?

"Rosanna! Get up!" Gaius once again managed to snap me from my thoughts. Sighing, I got up and walked into the apothecary, to be met with the sight of Merlin glaring at his porridge and my uncle grinding herbs.

"Ah, glad you could join us!" my uncle commented drily. I smiled sheepishly, before sitting down at the table and pouring myself a bowl of porridge.

"It's not poison you know," I teased, noticing Merlin's disgusted expression. His head snapped up.

"What? Oh. Yeah. Sorry," he muttered, still staring at his bowl. I noticed that his ears had turned a delicate shade of pink. Quite sweet really. Wait. What? Stop thinking that Rosanna!

Whilst I had been mentally scolding myself, Gaius had walked over to us.

"Today, I need you both to get me some herbs from the market," Gaius announced to us both. I glanced at Merlin and nodded my head. He looked a little queasy but nodded too.

Merlin's POV

We were on our way back from the market, laden with bags. The journey had been somewhat quiet and awkward, such a change from yesterday. My head had been whirling the whole time, taking in our proximity to one another, and the way Rosa's arm or leg would brush against mine, every time sending tingles through my body.

Last night I had had a dream that had changed my view of the physician's niece.

_I had been sitting in Kilgarrah's cave, not actually listening to the dragon, when Rosa came and sat beside me, her arm brushing against mine. I turned to look at her, taking in her bright eyes, her long hair that I longed to run my hands through, her red lips that I longed to press against mine. But suddenly the word "Nice" started echoing through my head, getting louder and louder each time. Then, something odd happened, something that assured me this was in fact a dream. A unicorn appeared on the corner of the ledge, its horn shimmering. Rosa jumped up and ran to the creature, and started to pet it. She then turned back and smirked at me. A mirror materialised in front of me._

_I gasped, bringing my hands to my mouth. The person in the mirror did the same; it was definitely me. But this person had grown a white mane and a long snout. On top of its head was a large, twisting horn. I had turned into a unicorn, and that was what I would always be to Rosa. A stupid, stupid unicorn…_

"Merlin, are you okay?" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Rosa looking at me, concern written all over her face. I opened my mouth to answer, but didn't get the chance, as at that moment, a man crashed into Rosa, sending her and her bags flying.

Immediately, I rushed to her side to see if she was okay. Rosa waved me away, but when she looked at the man who had knocked her over, panic flashed in her eyes. She stood up quickly, and rushed over to him.

"I'm so sorry!" she said over and over again, apologising profusely for what seemed had been the man's fault all along.

"You should be!" the man snapped, irritably. I looked him up and down, taking in his scruffy blond hair, and expensive armour. I felt like I should recognise him, but I didn't. Not then anyway.

Rosa looked down, and started scuffing her shoe. She looked so vulnerable, and I felt something inside me snap. She shouldn't have to feel like that!

"Actually, I think you should look where you are going in future!" I didn't realise what I had said until I had said it. The blonde man turned to face me.

"Excuse me?" he asked, his voice disbelieving.

"You heard me," I called, squaring me shoulders, feeling braver. Rosa rushed to my side.

"Merlin, leave it!" she muttered, taking my hand and attempting to lead me away. I pulled my hand away, my eyes never leaving the blonde man.

"Yes, Merlin, listen to your girlfriend. It will save you a lot of trouble," he taunted. I smirked.

"Is that a threat?" I asked coolly. The blonde man smiled, before drawing out his sword.

"Most definitely."

I gulped as he lunged at me, ducking out of his way as I did so. Reaching for the nearest thing I could use as a weapon, a large wooden club, I waved it in his face, trying and failing to hit him. He laughed, before lunging at me again. This time, I skipped out of the way, and managed to hit him in the back with the club. He fell to the ground, winded. I stepped in front of him, smiling in victory.

That was when his cronies grabbed me by the arm, and hoisted me off the ground.

The man rolled onto his back, and grinned up at me.

"You just messed with Prince Arthur. I hope you enjoy prison!" he smiled, laughing when I visibly gulped. So that was what Rosa was trying to warn me about…

As the men led me away, I caught Rosa's eye. She smiled sadly, but I could see the pride in her eyes. At least I hope it was pride…

"You really should have listened to your girlfriend. Merlin… Stupid, but brave. I'll give you that," Arthur whispered in my ear as I was lead to the prison cells.

Rosa's POV

I stormed back into the apothecary.

"You'll never guess what Merlin did!" I exclaimed, frightening Gaius as I did so. He looked up.

"What?"

MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERL INMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINME RLINMERLINMERLIN

The door to the cell swung open, revealing a rather dishevelled Merlin. I stalked in, glaring at him fiercely.

"You idiot!" I hissed. Merlin looked surprised. "What were you thinking? Challenging the prince to a fight like that!" Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off. "You are so lucky that Gaius was able to pull a few strings and get you out of here!"

When I finished my rant, I looked up to see a sad expression making its way onto Merlin's face. His ears, I noticed, were red once more. I softened when I saw this.

"But, thank you. I know you did it for me, and I appreciate it," I added softly. Merlin grinned, and I took his arm and led him out of the cell. I stopped abruptly, and turned to face him.

"Actually, there was one condition to your release…"

That night, when the door to the apothecary opened, both Gaius and I laughed hard at the sight of Merlin covered in horse dung. Well, he didn't expect to get away scot free did he? Mucking out the stables was getting off lightly…

**A/N: Well, what do you think? I know the thought speech was needed in this chapter, but it will be in future ones.**

**Please review! xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello dearies! I'm back with a brand new chapter! This one has quite a bit of action, so stay tuned. Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers; your support means a lot to me!**

**I have a proposition for you. Anyone who reviews this chapter shall get a sneak peek of chapter nine! Incentive enough?**

**For those who have read Abandon and Underworld by the delightful Meg Cabot, check out my new fanfic, Life or Death. But for now, happy reading!**

**Merlin: Rosa? Rosa, where are you?**

**Me: If you ever want to see Rosa again, you will read this paper out. *hands him paper***

**Merlin: (confused) Um, therealjainasolo owns nothing but the plot and Rosanna? Speaking of which, where is she?**

**Me: Um, I have no idea. I just needed you to read that! Bu-bye now!**

**J xx**

* * *

"_Italic speech" _is Rosa's thought speech

"Normal speech" is spoken dialogue

* * *

Rosa's POV

I woke up suddenly, drenched in cold sweat. I couldn't remember my nightmare, but all I knew was that it had been terrifying. A sudden snore brought my attention to the bed next to mine. Merlin was sleeping peacefully, his face a vision of bliss. He looked so different asleep; more vulnerable and…almost childlike. Perhaps it was true that everyone looked more innocent sleeping. Suddenly, a swarm of images assaulted my mind.

_A girl, with long black hair and eyes as piercing as ice dancing across a meadow full of flowers pale violet, and blinding orange. The place seemed familiar to me, a place I should know. But for the life of me, I couldn't name it._

The vision changed. _A lake, the surface as still and undisturbed as glass. It was surrounded by woods; I could almost smell the pine trees, and the damp leaves. Suddenly, a hand burst through the surface of the lake, disturbing the serenity. In the hand was a long sword, the blade shining bronze, engraved with druid symbols. The hilt shimmered in the sunlight, blinding me._

I gasped, pain ripping through my forehead. This had never happened to me before! What was it? I clutched at the blanket covering my body, tighter and tighter until my knuckles turned white with effort. The pain seemed to help, drawing me out of the vision. The last one scared me the most. It was not of a child, nor of a lake, but rather of Merlin. Dying. Right in front of my eyes. His beautiful face screwed up in agony. His eyelids closing for the last time.

_No no no…_ I shook the image out of my head. _Don't think these things Rosa. It's not real. It's not real. It's not real…_ I repeated it over and over in my head, making it a mantra. Eventually, my breathing became less ragged, and I could feel myself getting calmer. I let go of the blanket, and glanced over at Merlin. Thankfully, he was still asleep, his face a picture of peace.

My vision wandered, taking in his unruly hair, and his impossibly long eyelashes. His fine layer of stubble, which I longed to reach out and trace along. And of course, his cheekbones, as sharp as glass. I had given up telling myself to stop, because I knew that I would keep doing it anyway. The truth was, I didn't want to stop. And that scared me.

I felt a sharp pain on the inside of my left wrist, and tore my gaze from the sleeping form of Merlin to look at it. I groaned. Of course; it had been two days. It always came back after two days, as much as I hoped it wouldn't, it always did. It was both a blessing, and a curse. Here in Camelot, it was a curse, but back home; it was a symbol of belonging, a sign of being.

The Druid mark was back, sitting more prominently than ever on the inside of my left wrist.

Merlin's POV

My eyes opened, adjusting to the dim light of the room. I could hear clinking glass in the next room, and looked over to Rosa's bed. It was empty. I swung my legs out of the bed, and got out, stumbling into the apothecary. It was empty, apart from Rosa, who was standing over a table, her back to me. She didn't appear to have heard me, so I watched in fascination as she mixed two liquids together, creating an amber liquid. I thought idly of how similar it was to the colour of peoples' eyes when using magic. She lifted the vial, and brought it to her lips, before swallowing the liquid. I wondered what she needed it for, perhaps she had trouble sleeping? But surely that would be needed to be drunk before bed? Perhaps she had some other ailment?

Rosa rolled her left sleeve up, and stared intently at her left wrist. What was so fascinating about it? And what was Rosa trying to get rid of? I craned my neck, trying to see what was on her wrist.

But, being the clumsy oaf I am, I tripped over a chair leg, and brought it, and myself, crashing to the ground. Rosa spun around, anger evident on her face. Her sleeve slipped down, so I still could not see.

"Are you spying on me?" She snarled, her eyes blazing.

"N-n-no, I…um… was-"I stuttered, trying to come up with a valid excuse. Rosa set the vial down on the table and came to stand over me. I braced myself for the onslaught.

But it never came.

Instead, Rosa reached out a hand to me. It took me a few seconds to realise that she was trying to help me up. I took it gratefully, and allowed Rosa to pull me up (secretly marvelling at her strength). She let go of me as soon as I was upright, letting go as if I had burned her. Rosa went to stand by the table, as if trying to distance herself from me. I didn't want to think that that was what she was doing.

"It's okay Merlin," Rosa whispered. "It's time you know who I am. _ What _I am." I started slightly at her last sentence, and could detect the sadness in her voice.

"You'd better sit down," She said, nodding at a chair. I nodded, dumbly, and sat down in the chair, before returning my attention to her. Rosa sat down in the chair opposite me, and stared at the table, tracing the grain gently with her finger, refusing to meet my questioning gaze. After a minute of silence, she took a deep breath and began.

"My father was a knight of Camelot, a close friend of Uther. The king respected him, and they practically grew up together. One day, Uther sent my father on a special mission, to destroy a Druid camp. The King did and still does, fear the Druid people, although he tries to disguise it as hatred. But they are peaceful people, always have been and always will be!" Rosa said this bit fiercely, venom biting her words. Without thinking, I reached out, and took her petite hand in my rough, calloused ones. Rosa gasped slightly, her blue eyes wide. I ignored the tingling sensation I felt, and nodded in encouragement.

"Go on," I coaxed her. Rosa smiled softly at me, revealing her dimples.

"But my father did not bank on what happened next. Do you believe in love at first sight Merlin? In soul mates?" Rosa asked suddenly. Without thinking, I nodded. I didn't use to believe in any of that romantic slush, but I had changed.

"Well, that's what happened to my father and my mother. She was a Druid, and had magic. When my father came to destroy them, they didn't expect to fall in love. But they did. They were quickly married. But my father had a problem; the king. Uther couldn't possibly know that the camp was still alive and worse still, that my father had started a family with a Druid. So, they did the only thing they could think of; they ran. They ran as far as they could, and settled down. Together, they had three kids, Gwaine and Lancelot, my elder brothers, and me. We were happy." Rosa trailed off, a tear rolling down her cheek. I leant forward, and brushed it off, marvelling at her soft skin. Rosa looked up at me, her gaze questioning.

"Why are you so nice to me?" she whispered. I shrugged.

"You're different. You're like me," I replied, knowing that there was more to say. I just couldn't bring myself to say it. _I love you._ It would be so simple to say. Just three little words.

But now was not the time. Rosa needed a friend, someone to lean on. And even then, how would she react? I could easily imagine her backing away, stuttering, and then avoiding me for ages after.

No. Now was not the time. And anyway, maybe she would come to love me, with time. I hadn't realised it myself, until a few seconds ago, when Rosa asked me if I believed in soul mates and love at first sight. That was when I knew. I was utterly and hopelessly in love with Rosa.

"Were your brothers like you? Did they have magic?" I asked suddenly.

Rosa looked up at me, and shook her head. "No. It's only me." I noticed how she used the present tense.

"Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. We were happy, for a long time. But then Uther found out that the camp was still alive, and he sent knights to kill us. I don't know how he found out, we had been _so _careful!One minute Uther thought my father had been killed by bandits on the way back from his mission, and the next, he knew the truth. Everyone but my family was killed. My mother and father were personally taken to Uther and executed. My brother s and I were hidden, smuggled to relatives of our father's. I came here, to Gaius. It killed me, to see the man who had killed my parents so close, knowing I could have my revenge _so_ easily. But I couldn't do it. That would make me just a bad as _him. _So, now you know, just how messed up I am," Rosa finished, sadly, still refusing to look me in the eye. She laughed sadly. "Guess you want to take a running jump now, eh?" She asked bitterly. "Now you know what I am. A Druid."

I looked at her in surprise. "Why would I want to do that? If anything, I respect you more!" I exclaimed. Rosa stared at me.

"Really?" she whispered. I nodded furiously.

"What you are doesn't change you. You are still Rosa. And there is _nothing _wrong with being a Druid."

"Thank you Merlin. You are a good friend." I ignored the pang I felt in my heart when she said this.

My heart lifted when Rosa leaned over the table, and kissed me gently on the cheek. She pulled back, blushing deeply. I couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked when she blushed.

"What was it that you were trying to hide?" I asked out of curiosity.

Rosa frowned. "Oh, my wrist?" She exclaimed. I nodded. "Well, I suppose you should see. I mean you know now," she muttered, more to herself than to me.

"Okay," Rosa said, and turned to me. She rolled up her left sleeve, to reveal her wrist.

"Ostende te," She whispered, as he eyes glowed as amber as the potion she had drunk.

**A/N: To be honest, this chapter was not planned, but now you all know about Rosa's past!**

**Happy? Sad? Not enough romance for you?**

**Don't forget, review=sneak peek!**

**I translated Ostende te to mean reveal yourself in latin. Really sorry if this is wrong. I decided to change the language thanks to a helpful review from KatnissMellarkD12. Thanks honey!**

**J xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: 28 reviews?! **

**Oh. My. Goodness.**

**Thank you sooooooooooooo much to everyone who has reviewed this story! Virtual cookies to you all!**

**You have no idea how sorry I am for leaving this story for so long… Please don't leave me! Anyway, um, I thought I would answer a question asked by an anonymous reviewer, who wanted to know why Rosa was so ashamed of being a Druid. It isn't that she is ashamed; it is just that she is so used to hiding it from people. Rosa also believes that being a Druid got her parents killed, and she hates this fact. **

**WHY HAS IT ENDED? WHYYYYYY?! *sob***

**Well, you lot can enjoy this chapter, while I go and sit in the corner and cry for our great loss…**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Seriously? I don't own it, never have and never will. The Beeb can have Rosa though, and perhaps make more Merlin?**

"Normal" is spoken dialogue

"_Italic" _is thought speak

Merlin's POV

Slowly, the normally ivory skin on Rosa's wrist disappeared, to reveal a large black mark. Starting at a centre point, three lines curved out, to make three spiral shapes. It was both beautiful and terrifying; both entrancing and dangerous. The Mark of the Druids.

"So, there you have it," Rosa whispered. I brushed a finger over the mark, feeling Rosa shiver slightly, before looking up to see her blue eyes watching me carefully, watching for my reaction. My gaze locked with hers, and for a moment, all we could do was stare into each other's eyes. The longer I looked, the deeper they pulled me in. Before I had thought that Rosa's eyes were just a beautiful shade of blue, but up close I could see hints of sea green and a circle of stormy grey around her iris. _Like an ocean, _I thought idly, _so full of colour and life_. When I had first met Rosa, all I could think was of how sad her eyes were, as if they reflected a deep misery that filled her. But now, it seemed that they were sparkling with joy. I hardly noticed the door creak open, and it seemed that neither did Rosa; we were so enraptured in the other's gaze. Suddenly, a loud coughing noise filled the air.

Rosa and I quickly pulled away from each other, and my neck suddenly felt hot. I was sure that I was blushing, and, sneaking a glance at Rosa, I could see she was doing the same. Rosa quickly pulled down the sleeve of her shirt and hid the vial containing the amber liquid. I looked to the intruder, and nearly passed out from relief when I saw that it was only Gaius. He had a smug smile on his face, and one of his eyebrows was raised. It was the sort of look I expected from a man who had caught his daughter with a boy, and found the whole situation rather amusing. Which I suppose, in a way, he had, and did.

Rosa looked to her uncle and sighed. "Was there something you wanted, uncle?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him. Her blue eyes had hardened, and quickly identified it to be a look of anger.

Gaius chuckled softly and shook his head. "I only wished to remind you that you two are supposed to help with the preparation of the feast for tonight's celebrations."

Rosa gave a forced smile, and turned to me. "Of course. Come on then Merlin. Let's help with a feast that celebrates the persecution of our kind!" Gaius grimaced, and watched as Rosa pulled me out of the door.

She didn't let go of my hand as we walked down the corridor, but instead gripped it tighter. Now this was perfectly fine with me, great even, but it did feel as if the circulation to my hand had been cut off. Something was wrong with Rosa; I could practically feel the anger rolling off of her. I stood in front of Rosa, causing her to stop walking.

"Rosa. What's wrong?" I whispered, placing my hands on her shoulders. She refused to look at me, instead staring at a spot on the ground. "Rosa? Please." I placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at me.

"Please?" I repeated.

She sighed, before muttering, "I just…don't understand why we have to do this."

"Do what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"_Celebrate the no magic thing. I…hate having to pretend to be something I'm not. I…just can't pretend to hate magic," _I heard her voice, but couldn't see Rosa's mouth move. It was then that I remembered her "talent", but I obviously hadn't managed to conceal my shock very well because Rosa suddenly burst into laughter. I backed off, staring uncertainly at the girl who was now laughing so hard there were tears coming out of her eyes, and who was clutching her stomach.

"Well, I'm glad I made you laugh," I muttered. Rosa stopped and looked up at me.

"I sorry, it's just….your face!" she wheezed, before starting to giggle again. I waited for her to stop, crossing my arms and glaring at her with raised eyebrows. When she had finished laughing at my expense, she straightened up, and looked at me with an amused smile on her face.

"Are you quite finished?" I asked, curtly. She nodded, before taking my arm.

"You do know how to cheer me up Merlin," she grinned.

"Glad to be of assistance," I grinned back. "Come on."

Rosa's POV

I allowed Merlin to drag me along the corridor towards the Hall. When we reached the doorway, he stopped abruptly, and I was sorely tempted to burst into laughter again when I saw the gobsmacked look on his face. Clearly Merlin had never seen the inside of a castle before… I walked past him, ruffling his hair and whispering in his ear,

"Don't let them see your face; Arthur might think you're so stupid that you're a danger to yourself and send you back to the dungeons!" I saw his eyes widen even more, and grinned, before walking over to Gwen who was arranging flowers and eyeing the Prince at the same time.

"You know, I didn't realise ass' were so lovely to look at," I laughed, watching Gwen jump out of her skin.

"Well, clearly they are," said a voice from behind me, and it was Gwen's turn to laugh as I clutched blindly at my heart. I turned to see the Lady Morgana grinning at me innocently.

"Was there really any need for that?" I scowled at her. She merely laughed in return, before pulling me into a hug.

"It's good to see you, my friend!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in days. Where were you?"

"Oh, well Gaius' new apprentice turned up," I replied, gesturing with my head to Merlin, who was looking around uncertainly.

"Is he alright?" Gwen whispered in my ear. I opened my mouth, unsure as how to answer her.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," I concluded, waving my hand noncommittally. I held up a finger, signalling that I would be right back, before walking back over to Merlin.

"Seriously though, you can't just stand there you know," I told him. "Make yourself look useful. Go and get some bread rolls from the kitchens."

Merlin nodded. "Great…Where's that?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Okay then. Why don't you get some herbs from Gaius' chambers and then come back here and put them in with the flowers?"

"That, I can do," he replied, but did not make any attempt to go anywhere. Instead he was looking over my shoulder, at Morgana. Half of me wanted to smile; no man could resist her beauty. The other half of me just felt anger. I didn't know why.

"Well, of you go then."

"What? Oh, yes, of course. I'll be off then." Again, he made no indication of leaving.

"Merlin?" I asked, irritably.

"Oh, right! Going!" I watched him as he sprinted out of the hall, shaking my head.

Merlin's POV

I made my way back down the corridor, the bundle of herbs in my hand. It was empty, apart from my, and a torch flickered in its bracket. Suddenly, the corridor went cold and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something was seriously wrong. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was as if I could sense dark magic. Something…_evil _was nearby. I looked over my shoulder; suddenly feeling like someone was watching me. The only thing behind me was a broom cupboard, and I jumped when the door creaked open. You know in scary stories, where the unsuspecting victim hears a door creak open and they go into the room, even though everyone knows that something bad will happen to them? Well, that was exactly what I did.

I cautiously pushed the door back and crept inside, looking around the cupboard. I sighed in relief when I realised that there was nothing wrong; everything looked normal, and there was no masked murderer waiting to jump out at me wielding a sword. Chiding myself for being so stupid, I turned back to the door, to see it swing shut, and hear a lock click.

"No!" I gasped, clawing at the door for it to open. Surely that wasn't normal? A door to a _cupboard_ closing and _locking _itself? "Come onnn open!"

"I'm afraid that that door isn't going to open."


End file.
